What is Access to Higher Education?
Access to Higher Education courses prepare adults for study at university level. They are designed for people who want to study for a higher education qualification, but who didn't get the qualifications they needed during their time at school. Access to Higher Education courses are delivered in England and Wales, mostly at further education colleges. They are available in a wide range of subjects.
Visit the Access to Higher Education website
How does QAA regulate and recognise Access to Higher Education courses?
QAA licenses the awarding bodies for Access to Higher Education, known as Access Validating Agencies (AVAs). Before a provider is allowed to make an Access course available to students, the course has to be approved by an AVA. AVAs develop, approve and monitor Access courses, and work with further education colleges and other providers that deliver these courses to students.
QAA sets out certain criteria for course approval, which include confirmation by a higher education institution that the course is appropriate preparation for higher education study. A course that has been approved by an AVA in accordance with QAA's requirements is recognised by QAA and listed on the Access courses database.
Access Validating Agency relicensing
QAA monitors AVAs through an annual reporting process and relicenses them every five years. The relicensing process includes a visit by a review team to the AVA and a published report. On the basis of the report, QAA makes a decision about whether the AVA's licence can be renewed.
Below is a list of the AVAs that have been reviewed by QAA. For each AVA we provide links to their relicensing reports and the outcomes of our visits.